The present invention relates to the collection of grass clippings and other debris from lawns and more particularly relates to lift and dump mechanisms for mechanically dumping a collection box.
Commercial lawn care operations require that a large quantity of clippings and other debris be removed from lawns in order to leave them with a well groomed appearance. Common apparatus for collecting such debris include a vacuum assist system for use with a rotary mower for conveying material discharged by the mower to a collection box or a vacuum system operable for picking up debris lying loose on the lawn.
A problem attendant with the collection of a large amount of material is the necessity to somehow efficiently deal with the disposal of the collected material. U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,653 issued on July 10, 1973 addresses this problem and discloses a lift and dump mechanism associated with a collection box so as to enable an operator to dump the collected material into the top of truck boxes or trash bins or to make a high pile of the material on the ground. While the lift and dump function of this patented device is thought to be desirable, the mechanism employed for accomplishing the function is thought to be overly complicated and costly.